Our resident Viking, Lars Gotrich, connects epic Japanese storytelling, soul-sampling powerviolence, ambient rap and beautiful noise through thematic webs of history and memory. Featured Artists and Albums: • Matmos: "Music or Noise?" from Return to Archive • PoiL Ueda: "Kokô part 2" from Yoshitsune • Mayssa Jallad: "Baynana" from Marjaa: The Battle of the Hotels • Ruth Anderson & Annea Lockwood: "For Ruth" from T​ê​te​-​à​-​t​ê​te • Zulu: "Lyfe Az a Shorty Shun B So Ruff" from A New Tomorrow • Yungwebster: "Stay FOCUSSSS [fast+reg]" from Yungwebster • Liis Ring: "after-image I: nothing stands still" from Homing • Chuquimamani-Condori: "Breathing" from DJ E • Sunwatchers: "World People" from Music Is Victory over Time Follow the <a href="https://www.vikingschoice.org/">Viking's Choice mixtape and newsletter</a>. Learn more about sponsor message choices: <a href="https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices">podcastchoices.com/adchoices</a> <a href="https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy">NPR Privacy Policy</a>

2024 Preview: The year's most anticipated albums

Since launching in 2000, All Songs Considered has been NPR's flagship program for music discovery, artist interviews and conversations with friends and fellow music lovers about the really big questions, like what was the best decade for music, are there albums everyone can agree on, and what do you put on when you need a good cry? Weekly, with host Robin Hilton and the NPR Music family.